There are various types of liquid material (such as grease that is used as a lubricant, or caulk that is used for a sealant) that are sold in “throw-away” (i.e., disposable) tubes (usually made of cardboard) that are loaded into dispensers for actual use. In most cases, people will want to keep a supply of extra tubes close by, since any particular job may require the use of several tubes.
Inasmuch as these tubes are typically made of cardboard, they can be easily damaged. Most people keep the extra tubes in their car, truck or the like. As a result, these tubes are subject to damage as they roll around, bump into other things, etc. Indeed, when grease tubes are stored on heavy equipment vehicles (such as tractors), it is likely that the tubes may be thrown from the vehicle.
These tubes can be very expensive and, in any case, there is often great waste in these products, since damage to cardboard tubes is inevitable.